Methods and apparatus for audience measurement and determining infrared signal based on signature of symbol alphabet

Abstract

Systems, apparatus, articles of manufacture, and methods are disclosed for media monitoring and audience measurement. An example system includes a symbol alphabet meter to generate a query symbol alphabet based on captured data of an optical pulse stream, the optical pulse stream detected from a media remote control. The example system also includes a symbol alphabet matcher to apply a probability function to the query symbol alphabet and a reference symbol alphabet to determine a symbol alphabet matching probability, and determine a symbol alphabet match based on the symbol alphabet matching probability. In addition, the example system includes a key code detector to determine a key code based on the symbol alphabet match.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. At least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause at least one processor to at least:
 generate a query symbol alphabet based on a query optical pulse signature obtained from a meter that is to monitor presentation of media, the query optical pulse signature based on an optical pulse stream detected by the meter from a media remote control; 
 apply a probability function to the query symbol alphabet and a reference symbol alphabet to determine a symbol alphabet matching probability; 
 determine a symbol alphabet match based on the symbol alphabet matching probability; and 
 determine a key code based on the symbol alphabet match. 
 
     
     
       2. The at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 1 , wherein the key code corresponds to a key activated on the media remote control, the activation of the key to generate the optical pulse stream. 
     
     
       3. The at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the at least one processor to:
 identify a key activated on the media remote control to control a media activity, the identification based on the key code; and 
 identify media signature data based on a message obtained from the meter, the media signature data associated with the media activity. 
 
     
     
       4. The at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 3 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the at least one processor to:
 identify a query timestamp based on the message, the query timestamp based on the detection of the optical pulse stream; 
 identify a media signature timestamp based on the message, the media signature timestamp based on the media activity; and 
 associate the key code with at least one of the media signature data, the query timestamp, or the media signature timestamp. 
 
     
     
       5. The at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 3 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the at least one processor to determine that the media activity is at least one of an operational status of a television, a change in a media source, or a change of a television channel. 
     
     
       6. The at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 1 , wherein the optical pulse stream includes bursts of optical pulses having respective burst cycle periods between corresponding extremities of adjacent bursts, the bursts have respective burst durations, and the instructions, when executed cause the at least one processor to:
 generate a burst cycle period symbol threshold and a burst duration symbol threshold; 
 quantize the respective burst cycle periods into corresponding quantized burst cycle periods based on the burst cycle period symbol threshold; 
 quantize the respective burst durations into corresponding quantized burst durations based on the burst duration symbol threshold; 
 cluster the quantized burst cycle periods into clustered burst cycle period data; and 
 cluster the quantized burst durations into clustered burst duration data, the query symbol alphabet generated based on the clustered burst cycle period data and the clustered burst duration data. 
 
     
     
       7. The at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 1 , wherein the query optical pulse signature is based on a message from the meter, and the instructions, when executed, cause the at least one processor to:
 identify a query message size of the query optical pulse signature based on the message; and 
 determine a message size match based on a comparison of the query message size of the query optical pulse signature with a reference message size of a reference optical pulse signature, the key code to be determined based on the message size match. 
 
     
     
       8. An apparatus comprising:
 at least one storage device; and 
 at least one processor to execute computer readable instructions to at least:
 generate a query symbol alphabet based on a query optical pulse signature obtained from a meter that is to monitor presentation of media, the query optical pulse signature based on an optical pulse stream detected by the meter from a media remote control; 
 apply a probability function to the query symbol alphabet and a reference symbol alphabet to determine a symbol alphabet matching probability; 
 determine a symbol alphabet match based on the symbol alphabet matching probability; and 
 determine a key code based on the symbol alphabet match. 
 
 
     
     
       9. The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the key code corresponds to a key activated on the media remote control, the activation of the key to generate the optical pulse stream. 
     
     
       10. The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one processor is to:
 identify a key activated on the media remote control to control a media activity, the identification based on the key code; and 
 identify media signature data based on a message obtained from the meter, the media signature data associated with the media activity. 
 
     
     
       11. The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the at least one processor is to:
 identify a query timestamp based on the message, the query timestamp based on the detection of the optical pulse stream; 
 identify a media signature timestamp based on the message, the media signature timestamp based on the media activity; and 
 associate the key code with at least one of the media signature data, the query timestamp, or the media signature timestamp. 
 
     
     
       12. The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the at least one processor is to determine that the media activity is at least one of an operational status of a television, a change in a media source, or a change of a television channel. 
     
     
       13. The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the optical pulse stream includes bursts of optical pulses having respective burst cycle periods between corresponding extremities of adjacent bursts, the bursts have respective burst durations, and the at least one is processor to:
 generate a burst cycle period symbol threshold and a burst duration symbol threshold; 
 quantize the respective burst cycle periods into corresponding quantized burst cycle periods based on the burst cycle period symbol threshold; 
 quantize the respective burst durations into corresponding quantized burst durations based on the burst duration symbol threshold; 
 cluster the quantized burst cycle periods into clustered burst cycle period data; and 
 cluster the quantized burst durations into clustered burst duration data, the query symbol alphabet generated based on the clustered burst cycle period data and the clustered burst duration data. 
 
     
     
       14. The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the query optical pulse signature is based on a message from the meter, and the at least one processor is to:
 identify a query message size of the query optical pulse signature based on the message; and 
 determine a message size match based on a comparison of the query message size of the query optical pulse signature with a reference message size of a reference optical pulse signature, the key code to be determined based on the message size match. 
 
     
     
       15. A system comprising:
 a meter to generate a query optical pulse signature; and 
 at least one server to:
 generate a query symbol alphabet based on the query optical pulse signature obtained from the meter, the query optical pulse signature based on an optical pulse stream detected by the meter from a media remote control; 
 apply a probability function to the query symbol alphabet and a reference symbol alphabet to determine a symbol alphabet matching probability; 
 determine a symbol alphabet match based on the symbol alphabet matching probability; and 
 determine a key code based on the symbol alphabet match. 
 
 
     
     
       16. The system of  claim 15 , wherein the key code corresponds to a key activated on the media remote control, the activation of the key to generate the optical pulse stream. 
     
     
       17. The system of  claim 15 , wherein the at least one server is to:
 identify a key activated on the media remote control to control a media activity, the identification based on the key code; and 
 identify media signature data based on a message obtained from the meter, the media signature data associated with the media activity. 
 
     
     
       18. The system of  claim 17 , wherein the at least one server is to:
 identify a query timestamp based on the message, the query timestamp based on the detection of the optical pulse stream; 
 identify a media signature timestamp based on the message, the media signature timestamp based on the media activity; and 
 associate the key code with at least one of the media signature data, the query timestamp, or the media signature timestamp. 
 
     
     
       19. The system of  claim 15 , wherein the optical pulse stream includes bursts of optical pulses having respective burst cycle periods between corresponding extremities of adjacent bursts, and the bursts having respective burst durations, and the at least one server is to:
 generate a burst cycle period symbol threshold and a burst duration symbol threshold; 
 quantize the respective burst cycle periods into corresponding quantized burst cycle periods based on the burst cycle period symbol threshold; 
 quantize the respective burst durations into corresponding quantized burst durations based on the burst duration symbol threshold; 
 cluster the quantized burst cycle periods into clustered burst cycle period data; and 
 cluster the quantized burst durations into clustered burst duration data, the query symbol alphabet generated based on the clustered burst cycle period data and the clustered burst duration data. 
 
     
     
       20. The system of  claim 15 , wherein the query optical pulse signature is based on a message from the meter, and the at least one server is to:
 identify a query message size of the query optical pulse signature based on the message; and 
 determine a message size match based on a comparison of the query message size of the query optical pulse signature with a reference message size of a reference optical pulse signature, the key code to be determined based on the message size match.